


all that changes stays the same

by justsomerain



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-21 03:30:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14907465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsomerain/pseuds/justsomerain
Summary: They know that no matter what happens, as long as one of them is on the ship when the Hunger attacks, if just one of them manages to get away from those grasping black opal tentacles, away from this all devouring mass, they’ll return, a seemingly endless cycle of returning to the place they were when this all started. They’ll be back where and how they started, nothing to show for a year but the memories.-For the prompt "things you said when you were scared"





	all that changes stays the same

They know that no matter what happens, as long as one of them is on the ship when the Hunger attacks, if just one of them manages to get away from those grasping black opal tentacles, away from this all devouring mass, they’ll return, a seemingly endless cycle of returning to the place they were when this all started. They’ll be back where and how they started, nothing to show for a year but the memories.

Despite knowing this, dying is… It’s awful, there’s no better way to describe it, Lup says. (That’s not entirely true, she has a piling heap of expletives reserved for dying. It’s not so bad when it’s quick, but when it’s long and drawn out, it’s the worst.) Lucretia is more eloquent, always better with words than with people. And just because they know they’ll be back, as long as even one of them manages to escape, it doesn’t stop the fear coursing through their veins.

It’s probably something instinctual inside, something all living creatures have, a certain reaction to dying.

This time it’s really bad.

They’re four months into the cycle, a planet where everything seems intent on killing them, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first. They found out that one pretty quickly, within the first week. If you’d ask Lucretia, the place meant to lull them into a false sense of security, like a gigantic flesh eating plant. Lure them in with bright colours and sweet scents, before springing the trap on them.

Magnus was the first to face a near death experience at the hands of this planet, all pastels and alluring scents, and that's how they realise that maybe nothing here can be trusted. Predictably, he rushed in, Magnus being Magnus, overly excited by a creature that had looked like a dog, but when he had come close it turned out it hadn't been a dog at all, but rather the lure of something disconcertingly like a deep sea fish on land. It had been quick reflexes and quicker spellwork by Taako and Lup that had saved his life.

After that and a handful of other incidents they had gotten more careful on this planet. Careful, but sometimes things just go wrong, things happen that nobody can foresee.

It’s what brought them here, fuck knows how many miles from the Starblaster, from their friends, from any help, Lucretia gritting her teeth as Lup had one hand on her wand, the other pressing on Lucretia’s hand, which was covering a large gash in her thigh, the pressure of both their hands stemming the flow of blood.

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine, Lup, we just—“ She sucked in a breath, the air hissing between her teeth as Lup pressed closer, harder on the wound, motioning her to silence, eyes wide.

Until about an hour ago this world had just seemed awful. Sure, it all seemed a trap to lure them in, but nothing had actively gone after them. Perhaps it had been because they had not spent much time off the Starblaster, not a sign of the Light of Creation yet, perhaps it had just not been the right time, though they had not been able to discern any visible changing of seasons, neither of them was certain exactly why it was now. Perhaps it had something to do with the trap they had unwittingly stepped into, despite all of Lucretia’s caution, as she had carefully stepped closer to what had seemed an ordinary scratch on the side of the Starblaster, touching her hand to the scratch on the hull of the ship had teleported her far away, her and Lup, who had stepped off the ship “for fresh air, Lucy, fuck”, pointed chin digging sharply into Lucretia’s shoulder as she looked at the scratch too.

At first glance wherever they had been brought seemed harmless, but that was kind of the thing with this place. It all seemed harmless, until it wasn’t, and like clockwork shit had hit the fan, a high pitched whistling noise and then a dull thud as something collided with Lucretia, the impact so heavy it forced both of them to take a step back as Lucretia let out a surprised yelp. She had seemed fine for a moment, before the impact of whatever had hit her hit her in full force, leg giving out underneath her, Lup only barely able to catch her.

Now this world was downright awful, the sounds of large creatures slinking around outside their hiding spot, but nowhere to be seen whenever Lup peeked out, and Lucretia looking worse with every passing moment, lips pale, the hand underneath Lup’s clammy to the touch.

She turned away from the sight outside their hiding place, wand discarded on the floor as she touched a hand to Lucretia’s forehead, her brow wrinkling, eyes wide as she placed her lips against Lucretia’s temple.

“C’mon Lucy, nothing we can’t take on.” She pulled back, trying a smile as she looked at Lucretia, beads of sweat on her forehead, her breathing fast. “We just gotta...” She felt cold for a moment, worrying her bottom lip with sharp teeth, before Lucretia tried to right herself, weakly shaking her head.

“Lup.” Her voice sounded shaky, eyes darting. Again, voice still shaky, “Lup. It’s okay.”

She shook her head, wanting to pretend like it was all fine, and they were in the Starblaster, comfortable on deck in the sun, Lucretia’s hand under hers warm instead of this clammy cold, a bottle of finest moonshine at their feet. But the truth is often hard to ignore, and especially when the irony tang of blood is in the air and you’re huddled in a small cavern while outside unseen creatures prowl, ready to do the same again.

She had to keep herself from screaming, stomping, blasting the whole thing to hell and back, one hand still pressing on Lucretia’s pressing on the gash in her upper thigh, blood less streaming and more flowing slowly. She let out a heavy sigh, squeezing her eyes shut as she pressed her lips against Lucretia’s forehead, whispering against her skin. 

“I’ll see you next cycle.”

**Author's Note:**

> Are whatever attacked them based on Stalkers from HZD? Maybe. Drag me, I love the adrenaline.


End file.
